On March 16, the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations reviewed the State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2005.
In his opening remarks, Chair Christopher Smith (R-NJ) said that human rights “are not a concession or benefit conferred by the state. They are the entitlement of every human person on the basis of that person’s inherent dignity and worth…Therefore, human rights cannot be abrogated or otherwise removed by any government. They are entitlements preexisting and superseding the prerogatives of the government, and as such are either respected or denied.” Pointing out various human rights abuses throughout the world, he criticized China’s “One Child” policy and its traditional preference for male children: “As a direct result of these ongoing crimes against humanity, China today is missing millions of girls, girls who were murdered in the womb simply because they are girls. A couple of years ago, the State Department suggested that as many as 100 million girls of all ages are missing…This gendercide constitutes one of humanity’s worst blights, and a far greater peril to peace and security than is being credited at this time.”
Stating that human rights should be “emphasized more,” Ranking Member Donald Payne (D-NJ) argued that countries “should be judged by how they treat their own citizens.” He praised the work of the United Nations (UN) and the formation of a new Human Rights Council to replace the Human Rights Commission, which he called “a total disgrace.” Pointing out that the United States voted against the Security Council resolution creating the new council, Rep. Payne urged the UN representative to be more “engaged” in future negotiations. Current U.S. policy has “diminished our authority and our voice at the UN,” he stated.
Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Barry Lowenkron explained that the country reports “serve as a reference document and a foundation for our cooperative action with other governments, organizations and individuals seeking to end human rights abuses and strengthen the capacity of other nations to protect the fundamental rights of all.” He highlighted programs administered by the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, stating, “We encourage the full participation of all citizens, including women and minorities, in the public life of [other] countries. We promote political pluralism and level playing fields to help elections meet international standards. And we champion and defend the vital contributions to democracy of independent media and nongovernmental organizations.”
Calling the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan the “largest human rights catastrophe” in Africa, Director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs Ali al-Ahmed explained that “hundreds of thousands of Sunni Muslim African blacks are being massacred at the hands of a Sunni Arab government. Supporting this crime are other Arab political and religious leaders who revile the US and the West at every chance they get, but who are tacitly approving the murder[s] and rape of women, men, and children in Darfur, through their silence and media blackout.” He described other human rights violations in the Middle East, noting that the recent elections in Saudi Arabia were “discriminatory and violated international standards. Women were barred from voting and running for office. These elections should have elicited international condemnation, as they have banned women. They would have received condemnation and been called sectarian and racist if they had excluded Shia or blacks.”
Sharon Hom, executive director of Human Rights in China, said coercive practices of the One Child policy “violate fundamental human rights of health, choice, physical autonomy, and the right to be free from physical abuse, and also perpetuate gender discrimination.” She noted some “positive developments” related to the policy, explaining that China has criminalized sex-selective abortion, introduced a pilot program to reduce the use of child quotas, and cooperates with international health experts, including the United Nations Population Fund. “However, coercion and human rights violations related to the ‘one-child policy’ continue to be documented. Of particular concern are the disproportionate violations documented against minorities and women living in rural areas. Announced reforms must be supported by documented monitoring and assessment of implementation,” she stated.
